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Greg Vaughn
Gregory Lamont Vaughn (born July 3, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball left fielder and right-handed batter who played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1989-96), San Diego Padres (1996-98), Cincinnati Reds (1999), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000-02) and Colorado Rockies (2003). He was born in Sacramento, California, where he attended Kennedy High School. He then played baseball at the University of Miami. He is the cousin of fellow former Major Leaguer, Mo Vaughn. Vaughn was selected by the Brewers in the first round (4th pick) of the 1986 amateur draft. A slugger whose batting average dropped below .250 as often as rising above it, he compensated with excellent power. He had three seasons with at least 100 runs batted in, and four with 30 or more home runs - including the legendary season, when he hit 50 to finish 4th in the major leagues behind Ken Griffey, Jr., Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire, who set the home run record that season. In 1999, he became the only player in major league history to be traded after a 50-homer season when the Padres traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. With the Reds in 1999, he hit 45 homers and became the second player in major league history to hit 40 or more homers in consecutive seasons with two different teams (one year after Andrés Galarraga became the first). Throughout his career, Vaughn batted .242 with 355 home runs, 1072 RBI, 1017 runs, 1475 hits, 284 doubles, 23 triples and 121 stolen bases in 1731 games. For his career, Vaughn has one of the worst strikeout-walk ratios of all time. His propensity to strike out routinely prevented him from consideration as one of his generation's elite players, despite enormous production numbers. Largely because of his propensity to strike out, he was designated ESPN's Least valuable player (LVP) of the Half-Year during the 2002 season, . Vaughn became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. 75% of the vote was necessary for induction, and 5% was necessary to stay on the ballot. He received zero votes and dropped off the ballot. See also * MLB players who have hit 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break * 50 home run club * Top 500 home run hitters of all time * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI * Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game * Tampa Bay Devil Rays all-time roster References External links * *Simply-Baseball-Notebook.com: Baseball is Fun Again for Vaughn Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:1993 American League All-Stars Category:1996 American League All-Stars Category:1998 National League All-Stars Category:2001 American League All-Stars Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Major League Baseball designated hitters Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Colorado Rockies players Category:Milwaukee Brewers players Category:San Diego Padres players Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Category:American League All-Stars Category:National League All-Stars Category:Major League Baseball players from California Category:African American baseball players Category:Miami Hurricanes baseball players Category:People from Sacramento, California Category:Left Fielders Category:Designated Hitters Category:Players